Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard will be sidelined “for a while” due to an ankle injury sustained during international duty with Norway, manager Mikel Arteta confirmed on Wednesday.
Ødegaard twisted his ankle in Norway’s Nations League match against Austria earlier this month. The national team doctor had initially projected a minimum absence of three weeks.
“Scans revealed some damage, particularly to one of the ankle ligaments,” Arteta told reporters ahead of Arsenal’s Champions League opener against Atalanta on Thursday. “I don’t want to set a specific timeframe because I’m not a doctor, but it’s a significant injury, so we’re going to miss him for a while—hopefully not months, but we’ll have to see.”
Arsenal, who were Premier League runners-up last season, will face reigning champions Manchester City on Sunday. The Gunners are currently second in the Premier League table, just two points behind Man City, following their 1-0 victory over local rivals Tottenham last weekend.
